Firearm insert

ABSTRACT

A single multifunction part that is removably insertable into multiple firearm housings having different trigger configurations, such that the sear mechanism is housed in the insert and the trigger mechanism is not mounted, guided or housed in the insert. The multifunction part, the insert, can thus be used in multiple firearm housings and in various configurations to reduce firearm manufacturing costs across different product lines.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention is related to, claims priority from and the benefit of United States provisional patent application of the same title and by the same inventor, Ser. No. 62/524,916, filed Jun. 26, 2017, and international patent application serial number PCT/US17/63789, filed Nov. 29, 2017, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to firearms and more particularly to an insert, sometimes also called a chassis, that is modularly usable in a variety of firearm assemblies.

BACKGROUND

The Present invention relates to small arms design, specifically in the case of pistols and submachine guns. Pistols and submachine guns rarely use parts in common due to the differing designs needed to configure them for their various purposes, the pistol being a non-stabilized hand held firearm, while a submachinegun benefits in being able to affix a stock to the firearm and shoulder for increased stability while shooting. Therefore, not many attempts have been made to universalize part of pistols and submachine guns though they share the same calibers. Certain pistols, however, have sought to universalize housings surrounding the pistol parts to benefit the manufacturing method and the ability to make different sizes of pistols around universal platforms.

Such a pistol known in practice, is the Sig® Sauer p320. In this pistol, the metal portion of the firearm, that houses the rails, trigger, and sear are housed in a plastic housing; those portions, the insert and plastic housing, pinned together, comprise the frame. The slide and barrel then mate to the frame in the traditional manner. This gives the Sig® p320 an advantage in production, because simply by changing out the plastic housing, you can create different sizes of pistol from sub-compact to full size, by only changing plastic parts, which gives an economic advantage in the introduction of new pistols. However, the inclusion of the trigger in the insert limits the use of the insert to pistols. It is the object of the present invention to create an insert that does not integrate the trigger assembly into the insert for other triggers and types to be used, which allows the insert to be housed in different housings for different purposes.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a single multifunction part that is removably insertable into multiple firearm housings having different trigger configurations, such that the sear mechanism is housed in the insert and the trigger mechanism is not mounted, guided or housed in the insert. The multifunction part, the insert, can thus be used in multiple firearm housings and in various configurations to reduce firearm manufacturing costs across different product lines.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a firearm having a housing of plastic, steel, aluminum or other suitable material and a barrel and slide combination, as well as a trigger mechanism that is not integral to the housing. To allow key parts to be used for more than one specific firearm, the housing contains a multifunction part inserted into the housing, without supporting the trigger mechanism. The multifunction part may be referred to interchangeably as an “insert” or a “chassis.” This arrangement of parts allows for different types of triggers to be used, which allows various types of firearms to be built around a single insert; including, but not limited to: pistols, grip fed submachine guns, bullpup submachineguns and various personal defense weapon configurations. The housing can have a variety of configurations using this part.

The present invention provides a multifunction part improved to no longer require supporting the trigger mechanism, which allows the use of different types of different triggers in different housings. The multifunction part houses a firing control mechanism, able to be mounted within multiple housings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a cross-section side view of a pistol housing a multifunction part of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a top view isometric illustration of a multifunction part of the present invention unattached to a trigger mechanism.

FIG. 1C is a cross-section side view of a multifunction part of the present invention housing a firing control mechanism assembly.

FIG. 2 is an isometric exploded view of a firearm having a multifunction part the present invention.

FIG. 3 is top view cross-section isometric illustration of a pistol housing a multifunction part of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view cross-section detail of a firearm housing an insert of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. The term “invention” is not intended to refer to any particular embodiment or otherwise limit the scope of the disclosure. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to” Also, the term “connect” or “connected,” or comparable terms, where used if at all is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first component connects to a second component, that connection may be through a direct connection or through an indirect connection via other components and connections.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components and method steps. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.

The Present invention relates to small arms design, specifically in the case of pistols and submachine guns. Pistols and submachine guns, though generally chambered in the same calibers, rarely use parts in common due to the differing designs needed to configure them for their various purposes, the pistol being a non-stabilized hand-held firearm, while a submachinegun benefits in being able to affix a stock to the firearm and shoulder for increased stability while shooting. Therefore, not many attempts have been made to universalize part of pistols and submachine guns though they share the same calibers. Though, certain pistols have sought to universalize housings surrounding the pistol parts to benefit the manufacturing method and the ability to make different sizes of pistols around universal platforms.

Such a pistol known in practice, is the Sig® Sauer p320. In this pistol, the metal portion of the firearm, that houses the rails, trigger, and sear are housed in a plastic housing; those portions, the insert and plastic housing, pinned together, comprise the frame. The slide and barrel then mate to the frame in the traditional manner. This gives the Sig® p320 an advantage in production, because simply by changing out the plastic housing, you can create different sizes of pistol from sub-compact to full size, by only changing plastic parts, which gives an economic advantage in the introduction of new pistols. However, the inclusion of the trigger in the insert limits the use of the insert to pistols. It is the object of the present invention to create an insert that does not integrate the trigger assembly into the insert for other triggers and types to be used, which allows the insert to be housed in different housings for different purposes.

In many applications, the insert is fabricated from metal. However, it will be understood that the insert of the present invention may be fabricated from any suitable material, including plastic, polymer, composite, cured resin, and any other suitable material.

Referring to FIG. 1A of the drawings, multifunction part, referred to herein interchangeably as “insert” 100, as depicted in bold outline, is housed in firearm 140. Trigger assembly 110 is integrated in firearm 140.

FIG. 1B shows that trigger assembly 110 is not integral with insert 100. Trigger assembly 110 is not connected to insert 100 and is an independent component from insert 100 of firearm 140. Insert 100 provides guide rails for a slide or bolt and is configured to work with a straight pull trigger or with a rotational trigger.

FIG. 1C illustrates insert 100 having sear assembly 120 mounted in the proximate end of insert 100. Sear assembly 120 is an example of a firing control mechanism that the present insert is capable of operationally housing. Accordingly, sear assembly 120 is optionally housed in insert 100.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a firearm having an insert of the present invention. Pin 130 is used to mount insert 100 in firearm 140. Firearm 140 houses insert 100. Trigger assembly 110 is optionally operably engagable with firearm 140 and insert 100.

FIG. 3 illustrates an insert of the present invention installed in a firearm underneath where the slide would be. The firearm provides a housing for the insert. Note that the firearm/insert assembly does not include a trigger assembly 100.

FIG. 4 is a side view detail of a firearm having an insert of the present invention. The bold outline is an outline of firearm 140 which houses insert 100. The modular advantages of the present invention are illustrated in that trigger assembly 110 is displaced from a traditional location to a location distal from magazine 150 and sear mechanism 120 is operated by extended trigger actuator 160. FIG. 4 illustrates one example of the various firearm configurations enable by the present invention.

The use of an insert of the present disclosure provides many advantages over the prior art including a modular functionality bestowed by the lack of a trigger assembly which endows the insert with the ability to be adapted for use in a wide variety of firearm designs and configurations.

The present invention provides a multifunction part for a firearm for housing a selected firing control assembly and to operably interact with a selected trigger assembly, the multifunction part being configured to be installed on a variety of different firearm configurations by virtue of lacking an integral trigger mechanism.

The present invention further provides an improved modular part for a firearm, the part functioning as a housing for a firing control mechanism to interact with a selected trigger assembly, the improvement consisting of the absence of an integrated trigger assembly.

The present invention additionally provides a firearm comprising a modular multifunctional part suitable for being installed on a variety of different types of firearm configurations, the multifunctional part being configured to house a selected firing control assembly and to interact with a selected trigger assembly.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the firearms insert described herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A multifunction part for a firearm for housing a selected firing control assembly and to operably interact with a selected trigger assembly, the multifunction part being configured to be installed on a variety of different firearm configurations by virtue of lacking an integral trigger mechanism
 2. The multifunction part of claim 1 comprising guide rails for a slide or bolt.
 3. The multifunction part of claim 1, wherein the multifunction part is configured to operably accept a straight pull trigger mechanism.
 4. The multifunction part of claim 1, wherein the multifunction part is configured to operably accept a rotational trigger mechanism.
 5. The multifunction part of claim 1, wherein the multifunction part is configured to operably accept a guide wire trigger mechanism.
 6. The multifunction part of claim 1, wherein the multifunction part is composed of any material suitable for use in a firearm.
 7. The multifunction part of claim 1, wherein the selected trigger assembly is selected from one or more different types of trigger assemblies.
 8. An improved modular part for a firearm, the part functioning as a housing for a firing control mechanism to interact with a selected trigger assembly, the improvement consisting of the absence of an integrated trigger assembly.
 9. The improved modular part of claim 8, further comprising guide surfaces for a bolt or a slide to reciprocate.
 10. The improved modular part of claim 8, further comprising guide rails for a slide or a belt.
 11. The improved modular part of claim 8, wherein the selected trigger assembly comprises a straight pull trigger.
 12. The improved modular part of claim 8, wherein the selected trigger assembly comprises a rotational trigger.
 13. The improved modular part of claim 8, wherein the selected trigger assembly comprises a guide wire trigger.
 14. The improved modular part of claim 8, wherein the part is comprised of any material suitable for use in a firearm.
 15. The improved modular part of claim 8, wherein the selected trigger assembly is selected from one or more different types of trigger assemblies.
 16. The improved modular part of claim 8, wherein the part is suitable for being installed in a variety of different types of firearm configurations.
 17. A firearm comprising a modular multifunctional part suitable for being installed on a variety of different types of firearm configurations, the multifunctional part being configured to house a selected firing control assembly and to interact with a selected trigger assembly.
 18. The firearm of claim 17, further comprising a housing for the modular multifunctional part, wherein the housing comprises any material suitable for use in a firearm.
 19. The firearm of claim 17, wherein the modular multifunctional part comprises any material suitable for use in a firearm.
 20. The firearm of claim 17, wherein the firearm comprises a pistol. 